Pts in the Paint

Fastbreak Pts

Bench Pts

HAMDEN, Conn. – Despite a team-high 19 points from junior guard Felicia Barron (Springfield, Mass.), the Quinnipiac University women's basketball team was defeated by Sacred Heart University, 74-65, on Monday night at the TD Bank Sports Center. With the loss, the Bobcats dropped to 5-3 overall and 1-1 within Northeast Conference competition. The Pioneers improved to 7-1, 2-0 in the league.

Barron, who entered the night as the nation's leader in steals per game (6.1), paced the Bobcats offensively and defensively in the contest. She finished with 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting, grabbed seven steals and two rebounds in the losing effort. Jasmine Martin (Sicklerville, N.J.) poured in 14 points to go along with eight rebounds, while fellow classmate Samantha Guastella (Red Bank, N.J.) added a season-high 10 points and five boards.

The first half of action featured a sloppy start from both teams, as the two squads combined for 10 turnovers early on. However, the Bobcats settled down quickly and opened up the game's first substantial lead with 8:31 left in the stanza. Gillian Abshire (Washington, D.C.) capped off a 17-8 run with a jumper inside that granted the home team a 22-14 advantage.

After a timeout from SHU Head Coach Ed Swanson, the Pioneers' offense regained their composure and put together a run of their own. Sacred Heart finished the half on a 20-9 run, which included holding the Bobcats scoreless in the final two minutes of play. SHU posted a 9-0 run during that stretch, giving the Pioneers a 34-31 advantage at the break.

QU quickly bounced back after the intermission and rallied off a 9-2 run through the first media timeout. Barron, Guastella and Camryn Warner (Keene, N.H.) accounted for the nine points, leaving a four-point lead for the hosting Bobcats.

The game then took a wrong turn for Quinnipiac, as the Pioneers outscored the Bobcats, 30-16, over the next 10 minutes. The stretch included two, two-minute periods where QU did not register a basket on the offensive end. With a double-digit lead and less the two minutes showing on the clock, SHU fended off late pressure by the Bobcats en route to their fifth win on the road.

Turnovers proved to be the difference in this one, as 26 turnovers for the Bobcats resulted in 30 points for the Pioneers. Sacred Heart also knocked down 46 percent from the field and dished out 23 assists. QU made 40 percent of its shot attempts and edged the Pioneers on the glass, 38-34.

Taylor Callan, the senior forward out of Overland Park, Kan., led SHU with 26 points and nine rebounds.

The Bobcats return to the hardwood on Saturday, December 10 in Rhode Island against the Rams. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. in Kingston, R.I.